Prevue: What trends have you seen become staples in F&B?
Herron: I think the biggest trend that is now a staple is healthy food and beverage options. During an event they are sitting for long periods, and often get little choice over the food they are eating for days at a time—so being able to choose healthy options is a must for our attendees. No more cookies and donuts during breaks! Attendees want options like yogurt, granola and veggie crudité.
How do you incorporate F&B into teambuilding activities?
We love doing food-related teambuilding activities. In the past we’ve had cooking competitions. In New Mexico, we did a salsa-making competition that attendees loved. More recently we did a cake decorating teambuilding event in cooperation with our Portland hotel. It was really cost effective, and so fun for attendees. The hotel provided the cakes, icing and toppings, and in this case our team provided the tools for decorating the cakes, which included cake tips and bags. There are so many competitive cake shows now that everyone knew what to do and was excited to create their own unique cake. Partnering with the hotel to provide this option was key to keeping on our budget, without having to bring in an outside company to manage the teambuilding event. It was areal success.
Tips for being creative with F&B but keeping costs at a minimal.
• If another large group is in-house at your hotel, ask if you can have what they’re having! Using the same menus as another large group can help the hotel so much with scale by purchasing a bit more of whatever they are already ordering. In this case you can save significantly and have a great meal.
• At my events, we no longer offer bottled beverages. I ask for water stations (which can often be done with fruit or mint for variety and fun, or pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. This saves so much on costs. It adds up, but is also much better for the environment, which is key for us too.
• For meals, reception and action stations can often save you money over a full buffet dinner. And the guests get to interact and ask questions of chefs, which feels customized. Additionally, the lines are not long as stations are spread out across the event. Make-your-own-dessert stations have also become popular. Sundaes with various local-themed candy toppings were a recent hit for us!